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For so many people, life feels impossible and virtually irreversible. From hurricanes and extreme loss to relationship breakdowns and financial stress. We see a lot of suffering around us. And we have many questions about why life is so painful. We want answers as to why it happens and we want to be free of our feelings.
Why does God allow sin and suffering to enter our lives through His hands? Why does God allow what He hates to come to pass? I know suffering shouldn’t surprise us, but somehow it still does. We know that the Bible’s promise is that we will suffer, but this is not one of the promises we want to introduce. We prefer the promise of prosperity and overcoming, not suffering. But both are true.
We see this in Christ, our suffering Savior. All that Jesus accomplished for us as rebels was through suffering, “obedience even unto death, even death on a cross.” (Romans 5:19). But there was no definitive word for suffering. He defeated death and destroyed those who had the power of death. Christ suffered for our sins (by His own choice) That’s because He leads us to God.. The sufferings of Christ, God’s holy Son, were aimed at the deliverance of unjust sinners and the establishment of a true and living relationship with God.
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Even if we hate it and do everything in our power to fight it, we will suffer on this side of heaven. Christ has assured us that He will. Life in this world, created by sin and rejection of a holy God, will reap pain and destruction. Life can be cruel and heartbreak can feel excruciating.
And while none of us would choose this suffering willingly, trusting that God will work through it to fulfill His many purposes in our lives brings us immense hope and hope. You can find relief. One of the most beautiful things is a deeper intimacy with God. He feels somehow more personal and present in our pain.
As I walked through my own valley recently, I realized that when we think about how to experience a deeper life with God, we don’t tend (or don’t want to) list our sufferings.
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For example, we know that our relationship with God deepens through the daily practice of repentance. We know that pursuing holiness deepens our relationship with God. We know that our relationship with God deepens through the daily rhythm of speaking to Him through prayer, worshiping Him in our daily lives, and mediating His Word. But did you know that through suffering we can grow deeper with God? In fact, by identifying with Christ who suffers for us, we come to know Him in a very new way. Can we experience a depth with Christ that we would not otherwise have?
The testimonies of those who have gone through extreme suffering before us will tell us that this is true. My own experience of suffering testifies to God’s kindness and closeness in the midst of deep pain, and I am echoing the words of the Apostle Paul: That I might know Him and the power of His resurrection, share His sufferings, be like His death, and achieve His resurrection from the dead by every possible means. ” (Philippians 3:8-11). There is a tenderness that we can experience in Jesus through suffering. if We thereby convince ourselves of all that God has chosen to suffer in order to have a relationship with us.
This isn’t to show respect for how cruel life can be. I remember how our family lost almost everything in Hurricane Sandy in 2012. I remember fear, despair, and anger. But I also remember being able to hear everything I wanted to say to Him, and feeling closer to Him than I can explain. No, my encouragement to us is not to pretend our pain isn’t real, but rather that God’s love and presence sustains us as we endure pain that tears at His heart. It’s about seeing power and seizing it.
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My friends, let’s not lose hope. Because we are suffering. The Savior now reigns sovereignly over all that we suffer. And through Christ, our great overcomer, we too will be victorious. Until then, serving those who are suffering allows us to experience God more intimately.
When we seek God in our own suffering, we experience God more intimately. And we can discover a God who is fully aware of all that we are suffering, is near us in it, and is able to carry us through it once and for all.
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